Artificial denture.



G. L. VAN ALLEN.

ARTIFICIAL DENTURE.

APPLICATION FILED mac. 22. I9I6.

Patented Apr. 24,1917.

I v avwantoz 2 65: m m 1 %1g a 611mm,

GEORGE L. VAN ALLEN; 0F PRINCE BAY, NEW YORK.

ARTIFICIAL DENTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 11pr. 24, 1917.

'Application filed December 22, 1916. Serial No. 138,300.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. VAN ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and

a resident of Prince Bay, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Dentures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an. artificial denture of novel construction which is applicable to full upper or lower and also to partial upper or lower dental structures, and which possesses numerous advantages over the artificial dentures now generally in use,

In the accompanying drawing;

Figure 1 is a bottom :plan of an upperf denture embodying my invention;

Fig. 2, a cross section of the same on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, andv Fig. 3, a cross section of a modification.

The artificial denture comprises essen tially, an elongated rigid base 1 which is so shaped as to conform to the shape of.

either the upper or lower alveolar or gum ridge. Thus with a: full denture, the base is made in the form of an arcuate bar of substantially U shape, while with a partial denture the curvature of the base corresponds to the curvature of the particular section of the gum ridge to which the device is to be applied. Base 1 may be composed of hard rubber, of reinforced hard rubber, of metal or of other suitable material. Upon this base, are mounted the artificial teeth 2 by means of posts 3, or in any other suitable manner, theparticular means for securing the teeth to the base being optional with the dentist. From the back of base 1, there extend along the edges thereof, a pair of parallel resilient lips or flanges 4 and 5, which are made of soft rubber, and are adapted to engage opposite sides of the gum ridge. These lips are curved longitudinally in conformity with base 1, while they are furthermore, furnished with hollowed inner gripping faces to constitute jaws which are concaved in cross section. Furthermore, the outer lip 4 which is adapted to engage the labial surface, is of -greater height and more pronounced than the inner lip 5, which is adapted to engage the lingual surface, so that inthis way, the two moieties of the outer lip 'will have a tendency to spring toward each other, and thus securely hold the device in position. The roots of lips 4 and 5, extend over the sides of base-1 and also over the sides of the teeth 2, while furthermore, the lips extend around the last teeth of the denture, where they merge into each other, so that a tight joint is insured.

So also with the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the lips areconnected to each other by a soft rubber filament 6 that extends over and covers the back of base 1, the two lips being thus made integral, while with the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, this filament is omitted, the back of the base being here exposed.

In constructingthe denture, the teeth 2 which may be of any of the usual forms used in vulcanite dentures, but preferably of the form known as detach ed crowns) are arranged and prepared in the usual manner in a plaster cast or mold. "Against the teeth, is placed rubber of such a character as will form a vulcanite and which is known as base late rubber, and in addi; tion thereto rub 'er of such a character, as

will not form vuleanite under like condi tions. The whole is then vulcanized in the manner now practised for making hard rubber or vulcanite dentures.- I

In use, the denture is secured in position, by springing its lips into engagement with the gum ridge when the resilient action of the lips together with the resultant suction will hold the denture so firmly to said ridge,

that all further anchoring means maybe dispensed with. Thus with upper dentures the palate or roof of the mouth will be left free and uncovered, thereby insuring freedom of speech and in nowise impairing the sense of taste, while with lower dentures, all means for weighting the denture down with metal are done away with.

Numerous other advantages will readily come to mind.

The functions of talking, eating, drinking, etc., can all be performed in a natural way, as the superior suction power of the denture will relieve the wearer from all eflorts to retain the same in place. Particles of food are not liable to work in, so

. that a healthful state of themouth is insured. In short, owing to the fact, that the device is mounted where intended by nature, and without the addition of any objectionable extraneousholding features, all the functions dependent upon the mouth,

the tongue, or the play of the facial muscles may be performed With great freedom.

I claim 1. A soft rubber denture comprising a 5 base, a tooth mounted thereon, and a pair of soft rubber lips carried by the base and having concaved inner faces adapted to cover opposite sides of the gum ridge.

2. An artificial denture comprising a 1 base, a tooth mounted thereon, and a pair of opposed soft rubber lips'projecting from the back of the base, the roots of said lips extending over the sides of the base and tooth.

3. An artificial denture comprising a base, a tooth mounted thereon, a pair of opposed soft rubber lips projecting from the back of the base, and a soft rubber filament connecting the lips and extending over said back.

GEO. L. VAN ALLEN. 

